Missing Black Woman syndrome

Okay, okay, I know people talk about how the media handles stories about missing women. They tend to not care much about missing black or latino women and spend a great deal of time on missing white women.

But here is a subtle case of missing black woman syndrome. (They tend to move us out of the media when we're noble or helpless...but they play up the idea of us being sex-crazed and aggressive. What's that about?)

I know I sound petulant but I wish the new movie A mighty Heart, with Angelina Jolie had starred a black woman. I mean Daniel Pearl's wife was half-black and half french. Why should Angelina play her? It kinda bothers me, but I'll have to live with it I guess. It just would have been a great opportunity to show that a black woman could have a mighty heart...instead her race has been white-washed. They better refer to her race in the movie.

I honestly don't want to believe that the US is still sooooo prejudiced but honestly. If the wife had been white, would we be satisfied that a black actress was playing her? I still haven't gotten over the horrible fact that they made the hero of Ursula K LeGuin's Legend of Earthsea white when the story was about a dark-skinned tribe.

-C